Columbia

Columbia, county, southeastern New York state, U.S., bordered by Massachusetts to the east and the Hudson River to the west. The land rises from the Hudson valley to the Taconic Range along the Massachusetts border. Forests comprise a mix of northern hardwoods. Waterways include Kinderhook, Claverack, and Taghkanic creeks, as well as Roeliff Jansen Kill. In addition to Taconic State Park in the Taconic Range, there are parklands at Lake Taghkanic and along the Hudson River at Clermont, Stockport, and Rogers Island.

When English navigator Henry Hudson explored the region in the early 17th century, he encountered Algonquian-speaking Mahican (Mohican) Indians. The port city of Hudson, the county seat, was established by New England merchants in 1785 and developed as a centre of whaling in the mid-19th century. New Lebanon was the site of the first Shaker religious community (established 1787); the Shaker Museum and Library is located nearby. Among the many historic homes in the county that were restored as museums are those of statesman Robert R. Livingston, artist Frederic Edwin Church, and U.S. President Martin Van Buren.

Columbia county was created in 1786 and named for Christopher Columbus. Other communities include Kinderhook, Philmont, Ghent, and Chatham. The main components of the economy are services, retail trade, and agriculture (apples and hay). Area 636 square miles (1,647 square km). Pop. (2000) 63,094; (2010) 63,096.